Activities at Hundens Park Care Home

A Wishful Fulfilment. Tommy played bowls for many years, and the game has always been close to his heart. Although a summer visit to South Park last year brought a touch of disappointment when no one was playing, it didn’t take away the memories he holds there. These days, Tommy prefers life a little quieter… A game of dominoes, the daily paper, and keeping away from the bustle of big events. 

So when we discovered an indoor bowling green and told him about it, his excitement said it all. He couldn’t wait to go! Tommy had the chance to bowl again himself, watched a competition with interest, and enjoyed every moment — all with a sausage roll in one hand and a beer in the other. The best part though, is him thanking us over and over when we got home. That tells is just how much it meant to him. Days like that aren’t about grand gestures…they’re about feeling included, remembered, and able to enjoy something you love again.

It was mentioned in our Monthly Residents Meeting that a few of our residents would like to go to the beach for ‘proper’ fish and chips… so that is exactly what we did! As planned, we hopped on our Barchester minibus and travelled to Seaton Carew for the day. 

Despite the freezing cold crisp air from the North Sea, we were nice and warm in a delicious restaurant where we enjoyed fish ‘n’ chips. We then decided we would enjoy our ice creams back on the minibus with our heating on full blast. We had a gorgeous day and look forward to continuing our weekly outings. 

Hundens Park was full of animal mischief this week when a group of alpacas came to visit the home.  Residents were pleasantly surprised to see their new furry friends roaming around their home and into their bedrooms as ‘Sonny and Sandstorm’ – two alpacas from Butterwick Alpaca Retreat paid a visit.

Resident Kevin was very excited by the Butterwick Alpaca Retreat’s animals: “As a child I used to love all the animals on the nearby farm. Today was very enjoyable and it was wonderful that the animals were free to roam amongst us.” 

Our wonderful senior carer, Helen, has celebrated her 10-year service award. The 11th of February marked 10 years of working right here at Hundens Park for Helen. 

Helen is a senior carer who works primarily in our Darnton Suite (Male unit) but also works in our Swanton Suite occasionally (Female unit). She is an incredible asset to our team. It was brilliant celebrating this incredible achievement with her.

KL Pony Therapy! We were delighted to welcome Katy and her beautiful miniature American pony, Hazel, to Hundens Park. Hazel visited all of our units and brought smiles to everyone she met. She even had her little hooves painted with sparkles for the occasion.

Pony therapy can have many positive effects for people living in care homes, especially older adults and those with conditions such as Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Miniature ponies are particularly suitable because they are calm, gentle, and small enough to safely visit indoor environments.  

Throughout February, our General Manager, Ana, has been spreading love and appreciation for our wonderful team! Each day, a staff member is randomly selected as our winner and gets to choose a gift from a wide variety of chocolates and wines. 

A small thank you to show how much their hard work, kindness, and ongoing commitment to Hundens Park are truly appreciated.     

Each Wednesday, Willow the beagle comes to spend the day with us. Willow is our activity coordinator, Chloe’s dog. She is almost 9 and can be best compared to the Disney character, Eeyore! Willow wanders around our home looking for gentle pats all day. She loves the attention and most of our residents recognise her now and look forward to her visits. She goes in and out of each bedroom saying hello to everyone and keeping each person she visits company. 

Willow arrives with Chloe at 9am on a Wednesday, and, after a busy day on the job, can be found at around 3pm asleep (and snoring very loudly) in our reception area. In-between visits, our residents and even their family members ask when she is coming back. We have begun to think Willow may need her own uniform and name badge as she is a brilliant employee and asset to our team here at Hundens Park!  

Spring Sunshine at South Park with our four-legged friend, Willow the beagle. We enjoyed hopping aboard our Barchester minibus for a trip to South Park. We enjoyed looking at the gorgeous flowers, feeling the sunshine on our faces and the wind blowing through our hair. We also had a yummy Mr Whippy ice cream, with a flake, of course. 

We also observed the Crimean War bronze Russian cannon.   

Valentine's Day Celebrations at Hundens Park.

Our staff were kindly treated to some beautiful handcrafted chocolates that were gifted by the daughter of one of our lovely nursing residents. 

We also took some time to come together and chat about the secret to a happy marriage and what truly makes us happy in life. It was such a lovely opportunity to share stories, laughter and reflections. 

We welcomed the new year in style! We joined together as a group to celebrate, enjoying an array of party food and non-alcoholic wines and beers. We enjoyed a performance from visiting entertainer, Jade Sanders. 

Jade is absolutely incredible. She featured on the television programme ‘The Voice’. It was heart-warming to see so many of our residents being supported by their loved ones who joined us for the celebrations.